Kaena Point State Park

There are 2 ways to do Kaena point trail. We chose the Waialua side. I recommend this side especially if you are visiting. It's a friendlier side. I've also done from the Waianae side many years ago on a mountain bike. So this trail is dry and hot. You will be exposed to sun all the way so bring water and cover ups. It is fairly easy and flat walking trail. When you reach the fenced area, you can open the gate and walk through there instead of walking outside of them like we did and it was quite rocky.When you come to the point/end, there's a big area of tidepool where you can hangout and enjoy the ocean view. You can also enjoy small sea creatures like the hermit crabs.

(Visited 08/27/24 TU @ 1:00pm): In the heat, you'll arrive at this state park at the westernmost point of the island where the road literally ends!On this recent trip to O'ahu, I finally found some time to break away from work, jumped into the rental car, drove until the Farrington Highway ended, and came upon Ka'ena Point State Park. I'd never been to this part of the island, so I was completely blown away and intrigued by what I saw, and wondered why I never did this before! As I zoomed past Aulani, the surrounding areas were definitely not touristy with a tinge of desolation and dryness. This side of the island was more for the locals with minimal development outside of the road work that was going on. After my first encounter with this place, would I make a point to visit this state park again even though it was considerably off the beaten path!?EXPERIENCEThe word Ka'ena meant "the heat" or a Hawaiian girl but was unaware of its relevance here. All of my time was spent admiring the turquoise water as I watched the waves roll and crash upon the jagged lava rocks https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=oinqhRUh0L-3QzJgAr394g and slam onto the soft sandy shore. A small group of friends were setting up their fishing gear, a couple sunbathed on the beach, another couple wallowed in a puddle of water brought in by the rushing waves, and an older gentleman sat silently in his beach chair. A handful of others would pull up in their vehicles, milled around while taking pictures before they returned to their respective automobiles and drove off. This was also the gateway to Yokohama Bay and the Ka'ena Point Trail for outdoor enthusiasts. It was a relaxing hour or so as I roamed around, splashed in the water, and sadly took in the sight of a still monk seal https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=YAQSz5s8ZatjoXdh8gisuw on the beach unaware whether it was alive, resting, or possibly birthing (yellow caution tape cordoned off this sea creature).SERVICEI saw nothing in the way of service-oriented amenities such as bathrooms or lifeguards (I saw trash cans, though), so be prepared and be smart about your water and hiking activities. Please be kind - pack in, pack out.PARKING (FREE)I recalled seeing a couple private lots along the way that appeared to have plenty of stalls, in addition to ample parking along the main drag of Farrington Hwy. where the road ended before you had to turn around (this was where I parked). All was easy-peasy - 'nuff said! https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=KPQZKzYgf_PTugg4Bjie9gATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCEThe beach was clean, spacious, wide, and nearly desolate without any shady foliage or trees to protect you from the sun with the exception of green pockets of shrub berms. Although waves were breaking outside, beware of the powerful shorebreak. This beach was more for medium water activity (i.e. bodysurfing, possible snorkeling, strong swimmers). No benches, chairs, or tables, so bring your own chairs or towels to lay or sit on. The trail hike from this starting point was 2.5 miles, so allow yourself between 1-3 hours depending on your pace. Obviously, there was plenty of natural lighting with only the glowing stars left to guide you when nighttime came. There were no TVs and music except for any electronic device you brought along with you such as your mobile phone. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=Rrlbglft18a88-2Mcp171QATTIRETotally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops.OVERALLKa'ena Point State Park was an awesome "find" and I wondered why I never ventured out in this direction before. Not only was there a beautiful nearly empty beach but apparently a killer trail hike that offered plenty of nature and views along the way. The hike sounded amazing, so I will be better prepared next time (there will be a next time!). However, on this given weekend day, I was thankful for the peacefulness and solitude. I found complete value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $0.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, there was no need for funds of any kind which included my credit card of choice... AMEX! 5.0 STARS

Mokuleʻia Section - north shore of Oʻahu [Waianae HI]During our drive at O'ahu's most northwestern point in the Waianae coast we stopped at this beach in this relatively remote and wild coastline park. The beach was empty. Maybe because it was a weekday (Thursday) or maybe the area is not well known... or is simply too remote and not so inviting to tourists. This was our first time in the area.We did not dip our toes in the water. Although the beach is nice caution because the surf is ever so unpredictable. The coastline here is rough! We did not see any beach facilities and showering area. There are no lifeguards or comfort station. Swim at your own risk. Review #3576

Gorgeous beach! Easy to park on the side of the road and dive right into the waves. Clear, turquoise waters with large waves. A long beach with plenty of room for people to relax for the day. Not many people here at all, no crowd and pretty quiet. I spent a couple hours here and it started to get too hot for me or I'd have been there longer.

I've a long history with Kaena Point having traversed around the point on a motorcycle back in the '70s as well as done quite a few dives off the Leeward coast. Visiting after so much time has passed (visited both sides - Leeward and North shore) brought back memories and I was pleasantly surprised to see that not much has changed.- The Leeward side of the park offers expansive, uncrowded sandy beaches. Want to get away from the tourists? Here you go, although it's a bit of a drive if you're coming from Honolulu.- The North shore side is wilder with bigger and rougher waves breaking against the rocky shoreline. Spectacular scenery.

Wow, this beach is great! Not many people here, and you have everything for yourself. And it has nice sand area also if you walk further to the end, you will step on the lava stone area, and the wave is incredible! I felt myself could just sit here and watch the wave whole day! So beautiful!

Visited Saturday, 16th April 2022This place is faaaarr!! It took over an hour even from Ewa Beach, early on a Saturday morning, without traffic. The was a cool, overcast day so at least that was some consolation. There is ample parking right before the trailhead however, there are multiple signs warning that it is a high theft area. Thus, don't leave valuables out and visible or just leave them home! When we arrived at 7am, there were only one other vehicle parked and a fisherman a ways down. We came across a few other hikers on the trail and by the time we got back to our vehicle, a lot more vehicles/hikers had arrived. The trail is rugged terrain throughout. Some areas are narrow with drop-offs towards the beachside and fallen rocks warnings on the mountainside. There were even some loose rocks on the ground indicating recent rock fall. The trail is very flat however, one specific area near the bird sanctuary, you have to climb a slight incline since erosion had clearly degraded the actual trail (this like took many years and happened while ago). Anyway, the ground on the incline was loose, the trail was very narrow, and there was a drop-off, which my 63-year-old mother did not feel comfortable traversing, so we turn around here. We still go over 4 miles in so it was not a complete waste.There were beautiful cutouts, the arch, and other scenery that made being out in nature all worth it. I would definitely recommend.

After all, the view here cannot be described in one word: amazing‼The beauty of this beach is different from that of Waikiki.There are few tourists, and most of them are rather locals, giving the place a unique atmosphere.There is a naturally formed swimming pool here that is very popular. Maybe a barbecue on the beach would be nice.But be careful‼ because the security here is not very good. You never know who is watching, so be careful with your valuables, etc. in the ministry.

What a delightful find. Not a lot of people pay attention to the west side of Oahu. It certainly has its own character and a lot of permanent campers, but I really enjoyed this area. We drove it twice on our trip, the first time we didn't quite make it up here to Kaena Point, but we came back for a hike a few days later.The first thing we noticed as we neared the end of the highway was the Space Force installation. First time to see the sign and logo in action, for all the lolz. We parked at the end of the highway--for some reason the giant parking area is all closed off, which added some time onto our hike, but no worries. We walked until the end of the pavement, and entered the old rail trail. There used to be a railroad around the point, but now it's the trail and it takes you out to the wildlife preserve at the end. The preserve on the point is fantastic, and one of the few areas we ever visited in Oahu where we had it almost all to ourselves. There are giant albatross out there, and they are loud, and do a lot of dancing.

The wife and I wanted to go on a long walk to we headed here to go for a walk with a beautiful view. No disappointment here! There is a small parking area that will fill up early in the day and then you can park on the other side in dirt area or on the side of the road. There are two paths but we choose the one that goes along the beaches. Though the parking lot was full there were hardly any people on the trail. People drove on the road and parked at various points to fish or have a relaxing time with family. As you get towards the western tip there is a fence that you can walk through and is a sanctuary for animals. Overall round trip is around 5 miles. It is rather flat with sand and rocks.Friendly reminder: do not get close to animals, take pictures from a distance and let them live their lives undisturbed by you and your party